Wounds Cut Deep
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: The Shield splintered apart in more ways than as an on screen force... with the youngest one hurt beyond belief, will they ever be the same or has Seth lost Amanda in more ways than one? (First in the Steady Me Back On Stable Ground series)
1. Bruises And Broken Bones

_**Two and a half months ago...**_

" _There's always a Plan B." Hunter said, two of the four Shield members moving towards the ropes, ready to fight Hunter and Randy… but Amanda barely had time to react._

 _Amanda screamed as the chair was slammed into her right side, four sickening cracks echoing from her ribcage as she fell and Seth drove the edge of the chair into her back before whacking Roman, who also fell._

 _Dean froze in horror, looking from his fallen Shield siblings to the two toned traitor. He charged at Seth but Seth whacked him repeatedly as Amanda leaned against the ropes._

" _Colby, stop!" Amanda screamed, Seth throwing the chair at her and it hitting her arms before he picked it up and bashed it into her right knee, Roman picking himself up and charging at Seth._

 _Seth was down, Hunter and Randy trying to keep their best poker faces._

" _Jon, get her out of here." Hunter whispered, calling Dean by his real name and Dean taking Amanda from there as Roman nodded in agreement._

 _Dean hung onto Amanda as she broke down in his arms, sobbing into his torso… she was told about the chair shots and scripted split of The Shield._

 _But Seth had been the first one who had rendered life saving aid to her back in March when she nearly died… and on that level, it hurt._

" _I know, kiddo. Let it all out, don't keep it in…" Dean whispered as he lightly stroked her disheveled ponytail before they reached the trainers room._

 _Seth barely had time to react backstage after the four reached it before Hunter grabbed him by his throat, Seth struggling to breathe._

" _What… the fuck-" Seth struggles to choke out, Hunter punching him right in his nose._

" _Here is the fuck, Colby Daniel Lopez! I told you to only hit her twice! Not bust her knee so badly that she couldn't stand or crack her ribs so that they nearly shattered to pieces! Mandy is as much a daughter to me and Stephanie as Aurora, Murphy and Vaughn are!" Hunter yelled, letting Seth go. "You better hope and pray that Mandy forgives you! If she forgives you!" He growled, storming off with Stephanie and Randy._

 _As they figured, four ribs were cracked and two were broken. Amanda had no head injury though._

 _But the worst part was how fast her knee bruised… to Hunter, it was horribly reminiscent of his quad injuries._

 _He really hoped it wasn't that… and to his relief, it wasn't torn muscles or ligaments._

 _But Hunter's and the others relief was short lived… Amanda's kneecap and femur were fractured badly._

 _Amanda had stopped screaming and crying, worn out completely from it as Dean held her in his arms… and Hunter and Stephanie started calling the others._

 _Randy walked over to Roman to help steady the limping Samoan._

" _It's bad, isn't it?" Roman asks, Randy nodding._

" _I hope he finds a way to fix this… or I'm gonna rip his fucking head off." Randy growled, still protective of his ex girlfriend._

" _You and me both, Randy." Roman says before they found Amanda, who was still in the trainers room._

 _Amanda was distant, her body and mind detached from each other like she did after the double murder suicide… it was a protective mechanism of hers._

 _But they hoped she would recover fully from it…_

 **Present time, WWE Performance Centre…**

"And that should do it, kiddo. Great job today." The physical therapist, a well built, dark haired, green eyed man by the name of Nathan says, patting Amanda on her back before leaving.

"There we go, told ya that ya had one more set of reps in you today, luv." Finn says, him and Amanda smiling as she had finished her rehab session for the day.

"Well now you're gonna have to pry me from this thing because my legs are numb, Balor." Amanda says, Finn picking her up from the leg press machine… and up into his arms as her knees buckled.

"Maybe that was a bit too draining, Mandy… you okay?" Finn says, asking the last part.

"I'm glad to be off those crutches… this brace is another matter, I can't wait til it's gone for good." Amanda says, pointing to the dark blue brace on her right leg which went from below her knee to just below her right hip.

She had been given the okay to take it off sometimes but not for too long, a few hours at the most.

And with Finn's upcoming NXT debut, she wanted to escort him to ringside without the brace… Hunter had seen how quickly it had gone from _"We're signing someone new."_ to _"Hi, nice to meet you."_ to a bond reminiscent of two people who had known each other for their entire lives.

"Locker room shower or bubble bath at my place, Mandy?" Finn asks.

"Bubble bath would be easier on my legs…" Amanda managed to say, Finn taking her into the parking lot and putting her in the car.

Amanda let the A/C cool her off as Finn ran back in to get their things, returning and putting them in the back before driving to the apartment, _Changes_ by David Bowie playing and Amanda singing to the song.

"Glad to hear the younger generation sing a classic." Finn says as he kept the speed of the Altima evened up.

"From what my brothers and parents said, I've been a Bowie fan since I was a newborn, learning to pull myself up to my feet. John said he played this song and that's what got me to try to stand." Amanda says as the two chuckled.

"I don't think I've met anyone as adorable as you, lass." Finn says before stopping the car in the driveway.

Finn helped Amanda out after turning the engine off and into the apartment, setting Amanda on the couch before heading upstairs.

Settled into the warm bath a few minutes later, Amanda felt her stiff muscles unlock and her legs start to go numb as she leaned her back against the edge of it, the calming scent of aloe soap helping soothe her frazzled mind.

Physical recovery was going smoothly, that was her top goal.

Her mental state was still a wreck though… this was one of her closest friends who had done this to her.

Amanda Rose Cena was gonna show Colby Daniel Lopez... or as she now considered him, Seth Rollins, just how deep his actions had cut her… one way or another.


	2. Can A Broken Heart Heal?

_**5/23/14…**_

" _Colby, get your ass in here!" Amanda says loudly as her eyes remained glued to the Tv, Seth running in._

" _Did I miss it, did they say who it is that signed with us?!" Seth asks, sitting next to Amanda._

" _Not yet." Amanda says, turning up the volume._

" _In entertainment news, Prince Devitt has signed with WWE! The well known Irish wrestler previously worked for NWA and most recently, New Japan Pro Wrestling-"_

 _Seth jumped out of his skin as Amanda screamed with joy, throwing her arms around him… not wanting her to suspect he was startled, he hugged her too._

" _He's gonna have a hell of a career with WWE, Sethie. I can't wait!" Amanda says after they let go and she smiled brightly._

" _Damn right he is." Hunter says, him and Amanda hugging and her heading out of the locker room._

" _Hunter-" Seth starts to say._

" _Bit of a shock, kid?" Hunter asks._

" _Damn right! What the hell, old man?!" Seth yells, Hunter shushing him._

" _Calm down, alright? Come on, we sign new people all the time, what's the worst that could happen?" Hunter says, acting like a father calming his son._

" _Yeah… yeah, you're right. Just reacting from the shock." Seth says._

" _Different reactions, yeah. I heard Mandy screaming happily a minutes ago, she's thrilled." Hunter says before leaving._

 _Seth nodded… and felt the tension surface._

 _He didn't like this one bit._

 **Present time…**

"Hey you, how'd it go today?" Aestrid asks after Nathan walked in.

"She's getting a lot better at the therapy, her leg is getting stronger." Nathan says.

"That's good… you're usually smiling when a patient's doing better though. What's on your mind?" Aestrid says.

"Mandy's doing better physically but… while her mental state isn't as bad as it was after the attack, Hunter said that she's distant at times. I don't know if it's an aftereffect of the seizures she suffered or the injuries that Seth inflicted. That was horrible to watch it happen like that… my heart broke for the poor girl." Nathan says.

"Is she staying with anyone throughout this or by herself?" Aestrid asks.

"That new guy who's supposed to debut on NXT soon, Finn Balor. He and Mandy hit it off pretty well, actually. It's similar to two people who have known each other all their lives." Nathan says.

At the same time in the apartment across the street, Amanda was in grey flannel pajama shorts and an AC/DC _Back In Black_ tour tank top as she walked downstairs, Finn helping her to the couch.

"Really, Finn? I was just gonna head to the kitchen and get a drink, then sit down and rest." Amanda says as Finn helped her sit down and prop her right knee and upper leg up on pillows before covering her with a blanket. "Is this necessary?" She asks, fighting the light red coloring that crept up into her face.

"Your skin is cooled down, it's chilly in here and don't think I don't see you blushing." Finn says, kissing Amanda on her forehead as she rubbed her makeupless face in a tired manner.

Amanda dozed off after a few minutes, Finn going into the kitchen to see if he could find anything for both to eat.

He glanced at the small brunette on the couch before looking back in the fridge and closed it, heading upstairs to make a phone call as he remembered the number for Pizza Hut.

Amanda gripped onto the pillow in her dream torn mind...

 _Black orchid scented candles were lit in the darkened room after Becky and the others insisted on looking for the source of the blackout… leaving Finn and Amanda alone._

' _Of course… it just had to be the kind of scent that draws me close to her.' Finn thought, remembering how he didn't want to stop touching Amanda every time as of late… whether it was her perfume or body soap, it always had the calming scent to it._

" _If I didn't know any better… I'd think Becky was setting us up." Amanda says with a slight laugh as she turned to face Finn when he walked over to her, the orange glow of the tiny flames bringing out the amber tones in her eyes as she looked up at him._

 _Being as careful as he could because of her injured ribs, Finn lightly pressed her against the wall with his left hand on the middle of her ribcage, his thumb brushing against her sternum as they looked at each other… before his right hand was resting on her neck and he leaned in, the two kissing._

 _Amanda wrapped her arms around Finn and pulled him in closer so they were pressed against each other as the kiss deepened… she could feel it, she wanted it as much as he did, he wanted to throw her onto the bed_.

 _And that was what Finn did after pulling Amanda's black pajama top up over her head, his hands resting on her chest as they kissed before he sat up on his knees, pulling his shirt off._

 _Their clothing disappeared into the candlelit room and they were under the covers, losing awareness around themselves as they made love._

 _It was hours later that Seth had pulled himself up to a standing position and got off of the elevator, heavily injured but determined to find Amanda._

" _Mandy?" Seth said quietly as he limped down the hallway, reaching the room where he saw an orange glow under the door and started to panic, thinking the room was on fire and that his Shield sister was unconscious or badly hurt and unable to rescue herself._

 _Seth busted the door open and charged in, a fully naked Amanda scrambling off of Finn._

" _Seth?! But… but how?! He killed you!" Amanda says in shock as Seth stood in front of her… and Seth was seething with rage at Amanda being naked in bed with Finn._

" _Not exactly killed, you've been half lied to… now get out of that bed!" Seth says, yelling at the end and grabbing Amanda by her ankles, pulling her out of the bed and throwing her down on the floor._

" _Hey, what the hell's-" Finn shouts, bolting up but Seth grabbed the Revolver he stole from Dean and shot Finn before turning and shooting Amanda in the head._

" _Here, I was thinking you were in danger… how stupid of me." Seth said coldly to the lifeless couple before leaving..._

Finn ran back downstairs when he sensed something was wrong, seeing that Amanda was awake and clutching the blanket close to her and tears streaming down her face.

"Mandy?" Finn says after walking over, sitting down and pulling her into his arms. "Hey, it's okay, luv… shh, it's okay." He whispered, kissing Amanda on the right side of her head as his right hand rubbed up and down her back.

Her arms wrapped around him, accepting the comforting hug… and Finn realised it.

Amanda was a lot more traumatized by what Seth had done than she was letting on.


	3. Don't Leave It All Trapped

_**1/27/14, 3:50am…**_

" _Come on, you fucking lightweight." Amanda muttered as she struggled to get the drunken and much taller and heavier Seth into their hotel room._

 _Seth muttered incoherently as Amanda shoved him onto the king sized bed he was sleeping in before heading to her own… but he gripped her left wrist and pulled her to him._

" _Nope… you're staying with me, Mandy Rose!" Seth slurred, the 26 year old pulling the 23 year old onto him to where she was straddling him and his grip leaving her hips start to ache slightly as he kissed her right shoulder and then trailed his lips up her neck._

 _Amanda hissed as his teeth lightly sunk in and bucked her hips to him on instinct as his pants began to tighten in response to the increasing heat between her legs… it had been two years since her last romantic relationship, she had put love on the backburner after she had been used and cheated on._

 _Since then, she had become increasingly close to the three known as The Shield… and to Seth in particular._

" _That's my girl!" Seth growled in her right ear as she ran her hands through his hair, the two kissing._

 _But Amanda turned startled when Seth's head slumped to its side and his eyes were closed, snoring escaping his mouth._

" _Gets me all hot and bothered, then falls asleep… asshole." Amanda muttered before stretching Seth out on his side and praying that he wouldn't remember as she got ready for bed._

 _Amanda groaned as she pulled the white bedsheets and navy covers over her aching head, her hangover beginning to set in as sunlight fluttered through the curtains._

 _Seth had also been having a rough day, him and Leighla having gotten into an argument as well… it didn't help matters that Leighla was drunk when she called Seth and started yelling at him and once the argument was over by Seth hanging up, Leighla left drunken message after drunken message… the third one involved Leighla breaking things off with Seth and Seth blocked Leighla's number after that one and deleted the voicemails, texts and every picture of himself with Leighla… but Amanda knew that the two would just go back to each other._

 _Amanda felt a muscular arm wrapping around her and turned onto her right side, Seth pulling her into a comforting hug despite being hungover himself._

" _You and I are a fucked up pair of friends, Mandy…" Seth says, nuzzling his face into Amanda's tousled hair. Amanda pulled the covers and bedsheets off her head and up, seeing both still had their clothes on._

" _We didn't go further than getting piss drunk and holding each other… we both needed comfort last night, Seth… nothing wrong with that." Amanda says, half lying as she rested her head on Seth's torso as he kissed the top of her head._

 _Seth wrapped his other arm wrapped around Amanda's back, rubbing his hand up and down it as Amanda wrapped her arms around him, lightly kissing Seth's right shoulder as that was where she could reach at the moment, still tired._

' _She's right… nothing wrong with consoling each other…' Seth thought, once again nuzzling his face into Amanda's hair._

 _Of course, neither would mention anything of it to Dean, Roman or anyone else…_

 _ **6/9/14, Monday Night Raw…**_

" _Now that, I'll admit… it went a bit too far. But hey, she's done that in her career. Mandy's gone too far repeatedly…" Seth says, Michael Cole noticing Amanda in the corner with one crutch leaned against the ropes. "No one said anything when the little…"_

 _Seth stood up when he heard the cheering increase and looked… before the one crutch Amanda was holding was whacked hard across his head and knocked him down. He screamed as Amanda repeatedly swung it onto his back before the crutch snapped in half and she grabbed the dropped microphone and then grabbed Seth by his shirt collar._

" _You broke my heart, Seth. You broke my trust… there's gonna be a day when you'll need my help again… and I won't be there because you broke our bond like it was glass!" Amanda growled, slamming the microphone into Seth's nose and breaking it before dropping the microphone and throwing Seth to the mat._

 _Amanda left the ring and Seth pulled himself up and looked at her, seething as the tiny diva held up the Too Sweet symbol… a Bullet Club tank top was in place of her Shield tank top._

" _You side with him, fine! He's just gonna smash your heart up like the others did!" Seth yelled, Amanda giving him an 'Oh, really? That's the best you can shout at me?' look._

 _But she was hiding it again, how she was really feeling…_

 **Present time…**

"I wish I had explained it before but…" Amanda says after telling Finn about her nightmare, followed by the aftermath of the Royal Rumble and the tension between her and Seth.

"He felt threatened by it, felt like he was losing you so he grabbed on tighter… and in the end, it resulted in the betrayal… but it's not your fault Seth couldn't and still can't control himself." Finn says as they hugged again.

Amanda tried her best to stretch her right knee and leg out but couldn't, Finn going and finding the brace after the two let go. Being as careful as he could with stretching Amanda's right leg over his lap, he put the brace back on her leg and she felt a little better, turning up the radio as she and Finn heard the familiarity of Ozzy's voice.

 _Times have changed and times are strange  
Here I come, but I ain't the same  
Mama, I'm coming home  
_

 _Times gone by seems to be  
You could have been a better friend to me_

 _Mama, I'm coming home_

 _You took me in and you drove me out  
Yeah, you had me hypnotized  
Lost and found and turned around  
By the fire in your eyes_

 _You made me cry, you told me lies  
But, I can't stand to say goodbye  
Mama, I'm coming home  
I could be right, I could be wrong  
It hurts so bad, it's been so long  
Mama, I'm coming home_

 _Selfish love yeah we're both alone  
The ride before the fall yeah  
But I'm gonna take this heart of stone  
I just got to have it all_

 _I've seen your face a hundred times  
Everyday we've been apart  
I don't care about the sunshine, yeah_

 _Cause Mama, Mama, I'm coming home_

"Damn, it's been so long since I heard that song on the radio." Amanda says.

"They need to play it more." Finn says as Amanda moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as she leaned against him.

She felt calmer when she was around him… and calmness was what she needed.

 **A week later, Performance Centre…**

"What you doin here?! You know, she's doing better-" Enzo says, Seth looking at him after grabbing him by his shirt collar.

"Drop the for Tv act and point me in the direction of where she is!" Seth growled menacingly, Enzo pointing to the workout mats and Seth letting him go and walking towards the area.

"Why exactly this kind of stretch again?" Amanda asked as Finn helped her stretch out her right leg but it was still for now and draped over the left side of his back.

"Your knee locked up during yesterday's rehab session, it needs to stretch properly, luv. And Nathan isn't here yet to help out with that." Finn says.

Seth's brown eyes narrowed in rage as he observed them… he hated what was unfolding in front of him.

And then Finn's and Amanda's eyes drifted to Seth, both faces going a light red as Finn stood up and helped pull Amanda up to her feet.

Everyone nearby stopped whatever they were doing… the tension wouldn't be contained for long.


	4. Some Things Don't Change

_**4 years ago…**_

" _You're insanely fucked up in the head, picking a fight with Sheamus of all fucking people! That man will beat your ass so badly one of these days that it'll be weeks before you recognise your own reflection in the mirror!" 20 year old Amanda muttered as she helped a heavily drunk Randy into the hotel room that the ex lovers were sharing._

 _It had been the chaotic nature of the Money In The Bank after party and Randy's damn stupidity that led Amanda to go and help Randy into their hotel room… in hindsight, she should've taken the offer to crash with Cody or Ted._

 _As much as she cared about him and still loved him, Amanda Rose Cena swore that one day that Randal Keith Orton was going to be the death of her… and not if but when that day happened, she would haunt his crazy ass for the rest of his life._

 _Hell, Amanda chalked it up to sheer luck that she was able to get the drunken 6'5" 250 pound 30 year old man to the 2007 Hummer he drove, let alone stuff him into the passenger seat and drive to the hotel when she could barely see over the dashboard._

 _Amanda cursed her tiny 5'1" frame at times, having thought that by this time in her life that she would've been taller but hitting puberty at just 10 years old was a hidden curse, something she didn't realise until she was 14 and stopped growing completely._

" _Getting frisky, aren't we princess?" Randy slurs after Amanda shoved him onto the California king sized bed._

" _Drunk asshole…" Amanda mutters, Randy pulling himself up to a sitting position and resting his hand on her back, just above her ass. "You don't move that hand, I'm breaking it." She threatens lowly, Randy moving it up Amanda's body and resting it on her upper back._

 _But what he did next really unnerved Amanda… turning his head to the right, Randy leaned forward and resting his head on Amanda's bruised sternum, the sound of Amanda's heart beating comforting the older man like a child seeking comfort from its mother._

" _I still love you, Amanda… I never stopped." Randy says, turning back and pressing his mouth to her sternum, lightly kissing it as his left arm wrapped around her back and pulled her close to him as he pulled himself up, nuzzling his face into Amanda's neck and kissing it._

 _Amanda closed her eyes and her breathing became heavier… but she wasn't gonna get caught up in it, it was part of her past._

 _Before she could say anything though, snoring caught her attention and she looked down… seeing that Randy had fallen asleep, him using her chest as a pillow._

" _You are a hell of a drunken idiot…" Amanda mutters as she unlocked Randy's arm from her back and pulled him up to where his tall frame could stretch out easier on the bed, leaning him on his side, setting out a bucket, Aleve and bottle of water. "But damn it, I love you too." She says, crouching down and kissing Randy on his forehead._

 _Amanda stripped her clothes and shoes off and headed to the bathroom, scrubbing her makeup off before getting cleaned up._

 _Stood under the showerhead as the coconut scented conditioner and ocean breeze scented body wash swirled down the drain, Amanda closed her tired eyes for a few seconds and then turned the water off, yanking the red towel down and drying herself off with it before wrapping it around her._

 _Ready for bed and putting her slightly damp hair in a ponytail, Amanda curled up next to Randy and wrapped her right arm around his torso, her tiny hand resting on his sternum as she drifted off into much needed sleep as his words still echoed in her head._

 _Sunlight hit his blue eyes harshly and Randy opened them reluctantly, seeing the tiny hand resting on him._

' _She's always looking out for me.' Randy thought, lightly kissing Amanda's slender fingers before turning to face her and resting his large left hand on her right hip._

 _Through the thin material of Amanda's white racerback tank top, Randy saw the bruises that marred her chest… in some ways, she acted like a mother to him but he still occasionally thought of her as his lover… and the times she seemed like a little sister to him were even more confusing._

 _But not as much as the times to her that he acted like a brother, times he acted like a father… and the times she treated him like a lover._

 _To both of them, those lines blurred a long time ago… and they weren't sure what to do._

 _It was later that morning that Amanda had gotten ready for the day and slipped out of the room… only to find someone towering over her, judging from the tall shadow._

" _You can't keep being there for him, kiddo… it's torturing you, I can see that." Seth said as Amanda looked up at him, Amanda having told him about her past relationship with Randy._

" _I know I can't… I just can't find a way to break away from him at times." Amanda says, Seth pulling her into his arms and the two hugging._

 _But little did they know that the chaos was just starting…_

(Present time)

The tension was thick as Seth traded angry but questioning looks between Finn and Amanda, the others nearby looking at each other and completely unsure as to what to do.

"Well, somebody say something already!" Alexa Bliss says, quickly getting bored.

"Alright, I'll start with what the hell is really going on here?!" Seth says, quickly escalating to shouting.

"None of your fucking business, that's what!" Amanda responded, small 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the crowd.

"Damn. Tiny has more backbone than you, Zo." Colin 'Big Cass' Cassady says.

"Oh, ha ha big guy!" Enzo retorted sarcastically.

"Shut up, you're giving me a fucking headache!" Seth shouted as Finn turned to Amanda and rested a hand on her back after seeing the tense look in her eyes before turning to Seth.

"No one forced you to come here, Seth. You showed up all on your own, trying to hurt Mandy even further." Finn said, Seth glaring at him and taking a swing at him as Enzo pulled Amanda to him.

A brawl broke out… a brawl that was stopped by a loud clanging noise.

Seth fell to the ground, holding his head as Amanda dropped the weight plate used for the machine and turned to Finn, who Seth had hit with a 20 pound barbell.

"You alright?" Amanda asked, checking him for any signs of a head injury as her small hands lightly cupped his face, Finn nodding and resting his hands on hers as Hunter ran out towards them.

"Yeah… I had a feeling this would've happened at some point." Hunter says.

There were times he hated feeling like a high school principal.


	5. The Part Of Her Lost

"Oh my, what the hell happened here?!" Aestrid asked as she and Nathan walked into the Performance Centre.

"Seth and Finn started fighting like angry football players." Enzo says, Aestrid shaking her head.

"Wait, where's Mandy?" Nathan asked.

"Office down the hall." Enzo says, Aestrid and Nathan walking down the hallway.

"I swear, Seth is gonna get that girl killed one of these days." Nathan mutters.

"You started it, Seth! There was no reason to go hurting him like a high schooler who lost his girl!" Amanda says, Aestrid and Nathan knowing that she was already angry.

"About sums up most jealous men in general." Aestrid says.

"So you go and whack a weight plate over my head?!" Seth shouts, Aestrid snickering.

"That little lady can get aggressive." Nathan says.

"Aestrid, Nathan, you might as well get yourselves in here." Hunter says, the two walking in and seeing that Finn had a black eye and Seth had a broken nose as well as a cut on the back of his head.

"She got ya good… damn." Aestrid says.

"I've seen siblings who don't fight like this… but that's just my family." Hunter says.

"My brother and cousin used to beat the hell out of each other when they were drunk… one of them once used a trashcan as a weapon." Finn says.

"My father put a knife in my mom's collarbone once… cops didn't do crap about it." Aestrid says.

"Some cops don't at times… but guys, you need to behave like adults." Hunter says.

"She busted my head open!" Seth shouts.

"Serves ya right after you broke my ribs, kneecap and femur, then tried to put my friend in the hospital, you overly controlling, backstabbing jackass!" Amanda snapped at Seth, Finn lightly rubbing her left shoulder to try to calm her. "I've known you for five years, Seth… we were like siblings but then a damn switch flipped."

"Yeah and the switch has his hand on you, I bet." Aestrid says.

"Yeah, it does… and it pisses me off." Seth says, Hunter motioning for Finn to take Amanda out into the hall, which he did.

"There are times I've wanted to wring his damn neck before this but… never to this extent. I'm sorry about how he acted to you today, Finn." Amanda says.

"It ain't your fault he can't calm his ass down, Mandy…" Finn says before both heard a sharp smacking sound. Seconds later, Aestrid joined them in the hall, the palm of her right hand red.

"Fuck. What did he say now?" Amanda says.

"He… Brought up something he shouldn't have." Aestrid says.

"Damn it, why did I even bother going to that Ring Of Honor show in 2009 when Hunter suggested me as a talent scout? Should've gone to New Japan Pro Wrestling instead." Amanda says as she leaned against the wall.

"Oh damn, what went down now?" Dean asked after walking to them.

"Seth and him mouthing off before thinking." Amanda says as she and Dean hugged, the two letting go and Dean seeing how exhausted she was.

The door opened again and Hunter, Seth and Nathan walked out, Dean looking at Seth.

"You, parking lot, now!" Dean says, grabbing Seth by his right ear and dragging him down the hallway and Aestrid chuckling as Seth screamed.

But Hunter knew the look in Amanda's eyes as she absentmindedly bit on part of her lower lip… he had known her for thirteen years, he knew when she was distressed.

"It'll work itself out, kiddo… but I think today's rehab session is a bust and you can't work on it when stressed." Hunter says as the two hug.

"I miss how he was, Hunter…" Amanda says, Hunter kissing her on the top of her head.

"I know, Mandy." Hunter says as they let go.

After leaving, the group headed to the apartment and Aestrid could see it clearly as Amanda stretched out on the couch… before the medication, Amanda sometimes drank a glass of red wine after a really bad day to soothe her nerves… and she was missing out on that comfort.

"Sorry about… him." Amanda said as Aestrid sat down, the two women having met back in September in the Florida Hospital E.R when Amanda needed stitches in her head after getting busted open in a match.

Ironically, it was Seth who had dragged Amanda into the E.R along with Dean and Roman…

 _ **September 25th 2013…**_

" _Get off of me, I don't need stitches! What I need is to beat that bastard to a pulp!" Aestrid heard before seeing three men dressed in black dragging a small woman in who was dressed in a black outfit herself, leather shorts and an off shoulder cropped short sleeve top with the old Wwf logo on it._

 _Aestrid ran to them when the small woman bit the black and blonde haired man on his right arm, the man yelling in pain._

" _Damn it Mandy!" The man shouted, holding his bleeding arm._

" _Fuck you, Seth!" The woman yelled._

" _What the hell happened to her?!" Aestrid asks._

" _Mistimed shot with a kendo stick." The tallest of the four said._

" _Because you had to go and piss Cody off, Roman!" Seth says, Aestrid pressing some gauze to Amanda's head wound._

" _How bad does it look?" Amanda asks._

" _Might take a few stitches to close but I've seen worse." Aestrid says._

 _After Amanda and Seth were fixed up, they looked at each other._

" _Sorry that I bit you…" Amanda says, Seth brushing her hair back._

" _We didn't exactly make you feel safe by dragging you in here, kiddo." Seth says as the fingers on their left and right hands entwined._

 _Aestrid looked at the two after talking to Dean._

" _This normal for them?" Aestrid asks._

" _Yep." Dean says._

 **Present time…**

"You probably thought that the four of us were crazy." Amanda says, Aestrid seeing the faint scar that the stitches left behind… with how sensitive Amanda's skin seemed to be, Aestrid was surprised that there weren't more scars.

"I'd met worse people, trust me." Aestrid says.

Amanda nodded as _Tears In Heaven_ by Eric Clapton began to play from the radio, Aestrid seeing the look as Amanda debated on changing the station or not.

"That song always gets to me…" Amanda says, blinking tears down her face as Aestrid handed her a tissue and she brushed them away. "It was just about a month after… the double murder suicide and they played it on the radio… I just started crying, I couldn't wrap my head around what had happened. Seven years later, I still can't… I don't think I'll ever be able to. A part of myself died the day that I found out."

Aestrid lightly rubbed Amanda's left shoulder and saw the scar on the palm of Amanda's left hand. She had seen it before but never asked what it resulted from… now she knew.


End file.
